Animal transport containers are used to transport live animals from one location to another. During this transit the animal should maintain its health and fitness. For this to occur the container must meet a number of criteria.
The animals require such items as bedding, food, water and air to survive. The people responsible for transportation prefer that the container be inexpensive to assemble or purchase, easily cleaned if reusable, and safe for those people loading and unloading the animals.
The economics of the container are determined by the initial cost and the number of reuses of the container. To be reused the container must be effectively made sanitary.
The container must additionally hinder the escape of the animal by preventing gnawing or clawing on the mechanisms of the container or the container itself.
U.S. Pat. No. 922,993 shows some of the characteristics described above. This patent discloses a very large, cylindrical, steel tube for transporting human convicts. It has an axle which passes through the tube with attached wheels on either side of the tube. At the rear it has an exit door and at the front it has an air inlet, an awning and a hitch. The container, though not described for animals, demonstrates some inherent problems. The presence of a through axle provides a possible point of engagement for escape by the convicts or animals. The front of the container does not allow entry or exit which limits usefulness and cleaning access. Furthermore, the location of the locking device on the door allows the contained convicts or animals direct access at the locking mechanism. The complexity and therefore the expense of manufacture of the convict cage is increased by the addition of an attached mobility system, consisting of wheels and a hitch. Cleaning of the container is also very restricted because of the presence of beds and an internal door.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,522,391 discloses a carrier for small animals. This device shows a door located on the side which allows access by the contained animal to the door. It provides a point at which the animal can gnaw or insert its claws. The complexity of the system is further increased by the addition of a handle, small bumpers and latches. These add to the difficulty with which the container is cleaned and further increase the initial expense of the container.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,272,376 shows an insect container. The container disclosed uses a fine, flexible mesh wire tube embedded in a hardened plaster material at one end with a removable cap at the other. This system, though described for insects, would have many disadvantages if used to contain animals. Primarily, the animal could easily escape since the lid contains no securing device, other than a frictional engagement of the lid with the wire mesh. Additionally, the plaster-like material on the bottom of the container would greatly inhibit sanitation of the container since it is porous and, as such, would absorb most liquids. The weight of the plaster material at the one end is additionally a non-necessity for animal transport and a hindrance for economical transport.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,212,267, Patterson shows an insect container having a cylindrical glass tube standing upright with a feed cup at the bottom and a cap at the top. Since Patterson is another insect containing device, it would be very difficult to adapt to contain laboratory animals which, in general, are much larger and stronger than insects. Most animals, such as mice or rats, would easily destroy the cotton wad inserted in the top cap, and could most likely slide the frictionally engaged cap or food cup off allowing escape.
Thrower, in U.S. Pat. No. 903,918, shows a cylindrical vegetable container with perforated side walls. As before, the use of a container not intended for animals is undesirable because of the special needs which a living animal has, such as the need to breath and excrete waste, needs which are much different than those which vegetables have. Thrower would allow any waste to exit the container, and would additionally allow for an animal to lodge an appendage in the holes of the sidewalls.
Most conventional animal transport containers are one of the following three types. Cardboard boxes with perforations at various locations, plastic or wood boxes with handles and screened ventilation ports at various locations, or wire mesh cages with an access on one or more sides.
The cardboard container, while cardboard is inexpensive, is very unsanitary since it absorbs liquids and is not reusable. Additionally, it is not very strong for transporting large animals. The plastic or wood container is expensive to manufacture and difficult to effectively clean. The wire mesh container is somewhat expensive to manufacture and rusts after a number of uses, providing surfaces for bacterial growth. These cages could scratch or cut the handler. All three types are very dangerous for the person responsible for removing the animal from it. The danger arises when the handling person is forced to reach into the container to get the animal. The animal can grab hold of the wire mesh or some other engagable surface and not let go, or when the person has his hand inside the container, the animal can bite him.
The need arises, therefore, for an animal transport container which is inexpensive to assemble, is easily and effectively cleaned, can be closed to prevent animal escape, and which provides ease and safety in removal of the animal.